Helping Your Teens See Their Options After High School

As high school graduation day approaches, you may find your teen stressing out about what to do in the near future. It can feel like they are on a time crunch to completely figure out the rest of their lives. That can feel like a huge weight on their shoulders. When you stop to think about it, High School graduation can seem as if we are asking 18-year-olds to figure out the rest of their lives in a few short months, stressful right? As a parent, it can be very difficult to see your child struggle with that decision. Don’t feel helpless in this situation, there are so many ways to help your child figure out the correct life path.

Help them de-stress.

It is extremely difficult to think clearly, when you feel as if the weight of the world is on your shoulders. Before sitting down and talking about life after graduation, take your child out and help them de-stress. De-stressing can help improve their productivity, and boost their immune systems! It will be even tougher to figure out their future if they are constantly sick. Those last few months of High School are packed full of memorable events that they don’t want to miss!

Take a day off of work if you need to and spend the day with your teenager. Let them know that you are there for them and want what is best for them. Great ways to help them de-stress include taking them out for lunch, going to catch a movie together, going for a hike as a family, or even getting pedicures together. The goal is to help them escape from the stress, just for a few moments before having to come back to reality. Make the day all about them and make them feel special. This is a very important time in their lives, so they may need the extra attention from you.

Look at the options.

Sit down with your teen and begin asking them what they want for their future. Great questions to ask include: “Do you want to go to college?”, “Do you have a hobby that could be turned into a career?”, “Would you like to take a year off before pursuing a degree?” Map out their questions, and help them explore their options by researching colleges, career options, and other programs that they could pursue.

It is important that they know that the options are truly endless. One issue that many parents find themselves running into is that they have children that are not ready to leave home to pursue their degree. This could be for many reasons, such as a prior job commitment, shyness, and more. A thing that they should know is that there are online degrees that they can work towards. They can chase after their future careers without having to uproot their entire lives. It is a great option for them to consider.

Reassure them.

Believe it or not, most teenagers crave their parent’s approval. They want to feel as though they have made them proud. That alone can put a lot of stress on their decision about what they feel like they should do after graduation. Make sure that you let them know that you will love them and support them, no matter what they decide to do.

Accepting them and their decisions can allow them to develop into the person they are meant to be. It can allow them to fully be happy, genuine, and original. At the end of the day, isn’t that what every parent wants for their children? You have the ability to make the journey into this next step of their lives a little smoother. Just being there for them and showing your support can make all of the difference. Help them when they request it, but give them space when they need it as well. Don’t blink, it will be over before you know it.